


Whispers

by Neyiea



Category: Epic (2013)
Genre: Gen, Post-Movie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-15
Updated: 2013-06-15
Packaged: 2017-12-15 02:32:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/844303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Neyiea/pseuds/Neyiea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The thing about small towns is people like to gossip, and who better to gossip about than the divorced recluse who lives way outside of town and spends his days running around in the forest?</p>
<p>MK becomes very aware of this when she starts her last year of high school.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Whispers

The thing about smaller towns is that everybody knows everybody else, so if you're new (or are coming back after a decade), people are going to notice.

As if the last year of high school wasn't hard enough already.

MK sees half-familliar faces every once in a while and some people do seem to recognize her too, but mostly they recognize her hair and her last name.

Like it or not, her dad became a bit infamous in the community ten years ago. Living all alone, a twenty minute drive from town, surrounded by the forest, and never seeking out friendship or companionship with any of the townsfolk, instead preferring to stay isolated. It's behaviour like that that drives tightly knit communities up the wall and promotes people to gossip.

By the end of her first day she's managed to discern several whispered rumours about her father's ruined marriage, career and home life. It's not so different from things she's heard before, from her own mother and herself, but it's hard to listen when she knows that her dad was right about so many things but just wasn't able to make anyone believe him.

She actually has to bite her tongue at one point, when one of her classmates says something loud enough that they obviously want her to overhear it.

MK would love to prove just how not-crazy her father is, but she can't. There are people out there who would take advantage of the Jinn's existence, would try to capture and study them. Sure they move at a faster rate, but humans would find a way.

She imagines it would turn out like that scene from Beauty and the Beast, where Belle shows them the Beast through the mirror and despite her telling the townspeople that he's harmless they form a huge manhunt and storm the castle.

In this case, they'd probably start cutting down the trees of the forest faster than the new Queen could re-grow them.

MK shudders at the thought of humans succeeding where the Boggans failed.

She can't ever let that happen. She won't ever let that happen.

So MK ignores whatever comments get tossed her way and does her best to look completely unaffected. Once they know she's not going to let them get to her, they'll get bored and stop.

She's only got less than a year left of this, then her life will be a mix of University and following in her father's footsteps, both of which will be far more accepting of her other pursuits.

The goading comments get a little more insulting and sometimes she can't help but respond because it's usually her father they're mocking, and he's been made fun of enough, but they do eventually die down until they're once again just whispers that she's not supposed to hear.

It's a late October weekend when she goes out by herself to try and find Wrathwood; it's a little harder to navigate since she was so much smaller the last time she was there, but she's certain there's no way she can miss it. She's concerned is all, the forest is starting to prepare itself for winter and it seems like now would be a good time for the Boggans to strike back. She won't get too close, she tells herself, just close enough to see if there's a gathering army.

After nearly an hour of trudging through half-familliar surroundings she thinks that maybe she should have brought a compass, or asked Ronin (or more likely Nod, Ronin would probably protest to this whole venture) where Wrathwood would be located on her father's map.

She hears a shuffling behind her and turns around, her arms coming up as if to protect herself from hundreds of Boggan arrows.

What's behind her is actually worse.

She must have unknowingly wandered closer to town and stumbled upon an actual trail, because a classmate, one of the ones who likes picking on her the most, is staring at her like she's completely insane. 

Then she whips out her smartphone and quickly takes a picture before MK can even think to take her helmet off.

"God MK, what kind of freakish hobbies do you and your crazy dad have?" She asks with a smirk before flouncing away and MK can't do anything but watch her go.

There is no doubt in her mind that that photo is going to be texted to every kid in school by Monday morning.

She spends the rest of the weekend confined to the house, not in the mood to go outside. It is, perhaps, a little juvenile of her, she's faced much scarier things than a little bullying after all. But just because she's experienced being shrunk, tossed into a war and near death doesn't mean words will hurt any less.

On Sunday night she coops up in her room dreading the day to come, until a knock gently sounds against her door.

"MK?" Her dad peers inside, a little more subdued than usual "It's for you."

She manages a small smile. At least she has something to look forward to.

She treks downstairs and sits down at her father's desk, smile widening when she sees the pair on the screen.

"Hey guys."

"Hey MK," Nod greets back cheerily, "how's it going?"

"Oh, same old, same old I suppose." Just wishing she could turn back time, or maybe convince her father to home school her.

"You didn't come out this afternoon." Ronin interjects, looking her up and down with a critical air. "Your father said he thought you might be under the weather."

"I'm okay, I just didn't really feel like going out today."

They give her a nearly identical set of disbelieving looks and she scuffs her feet against the floor.

"Why not?" Nod asks and she slumps in her chair. Maybe she'll feel better if she talks about it.

"There's just been stuff going on at school, and I'm trying not to let it get to me, but it's hard, you know?"

"School," he repeats with a raised eyebrow, "that's where all the stomper kids go to learn, right? What's going on?"

"It's just, I don't know, teenager problems. Everyone likes to pick on the new kid."

"You're getting picked on? But you're so awesome!" Nod states and Ronin purses his lips.

"It does make very little sense. You have proven yourself to be adaptable, courageous, resourceful and work well under pressure, I do not understand how anyone you spend your time around would not be able see that."

"Oh, stop it," she flicks her hand, "you'll make me blush."

"But it's true," Nod protests.

"Well, at least you guys think so."

He crosses his arms and frowns. "That's just not right."

"Well, let's face it," She leans in closer to the screen, smiling wryly, "I'm not exactly normal for a stomper."

"That's true enough," Ronin concedes, lips quirking before his expression smooths out to its normal serious veneer. "But you know, if they're giving you trouble you can always talk to us about it."

"Yeah," Nod agrees, cracking his knuckles loudly. MK stifles a laugh.

They move on to talk about other things: the changes autumn will bring to the forest, how the new Queen is fairing, how training the new recruits is going. When it's time for them to say goodnight MK finds herself feeling a lot less anxious than she had been.

She'll walk into school tomorrow with her head held high and ignore whatever strange looks she might get. If anyone is willing to judge her and her dad without getting to know them first, their opinions shouldn't bother her.

Besides, there's a group of tiny people from an advance civilization who thinks she's pretty awesome, and that definitely counts for something.


End file.
